---
title: "Jojo Rabbit: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/jojo-rabbit/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/jojo-rabbit"
critics_score: 52
critics_reviews: 29
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Jojo Rabbit (2019): what the critics said

Critics' score 52 from 29 reviews: 12 positive, 7 mixed, 10 negative.

The reviews are sharply divided on Jojo Rabbit, with praise clustering around the performances rather than agreement on its satire. Roman Griffin Davis’s young lead draws repeated approval, while Scarlett Johansson and the supporting cast help make the central relationships touching even for some sceptics. Supporters find that the child’s perspective gives the comedy licence to be absurd while exposing the cruelty and foolishness of Nazi beliefs.

The chief disagreement concerns the shifts between slapstick and historical horror: some critics find them affecting, others clumsy or sentimental. /Film sees a skilful balance of darkness and warmth; Slant Magazine finds cheap sentiment and jokes inadequate to the subjects of oppression and indoctrination. Between those poles, mixed reviews credit the cast and individual laughs but question the satire’s bite. The spread is unusually wide, with critics disagreeing over whether the gentleness makes the film humane or lets its targets off too lightly.

## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf

Rating 4/5. 29 November 2019. 

The critic finds the audacious WWII comedy risky yet worthy, commending its child’s perspective, bold humor, and how it turns the central relationship into something endearing and ground-breaking.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/jojo-rabbit)

## Sight and Sound — Ella Kemp

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2019. Festival review. 

The critic praises the film's witty and playful approach to its anti-hate satire, highlighting how it finds light in dark subject matter through whimsy and strong performances, especially from the young lead.

[Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/jojo-rabbit-review-taika-waititi-laughs-face-fascism)

## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 28 October 2019. 

The review notes genuine zest in the film's unease and finds it weirdly convincing as a portrait of childhood under surreal strain. It stumbles at times but remains preferable to watch again than many other films.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/10/28/the-lighthouse-is-salted-with-madness)

## The New York Times — A.O. Scott

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 17 October 2019. 

The critic finds the film a tricky blend of farce, fantasy and drama that filters the banality and evil of the Third Reich through a child's consciousness. It is sharpest when it dares to be funny, painting a credible if cartoonish picture of an evil system without graphic imagery.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/17/movies/jojo-rabbit-review.html)

## Radio Times — Patrick Cremona

Rating 3/5. 

The critic describes an uneven comedy drama that stumbles between slapstick and sincerity but succeeds in injecting heart through the young cast, though its satirical elements remain largely toothless.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-6lvp40/jojo-rabbit/)

## The i Paper — Demetrios Matheou

Rating ★★★. 2 January 2020. 

Waititi’s wacky anti-hate satire is divisive and sometimes grating in its contrasts, yet it remains touching thanks to strong central performances, especially from Johansson and the young lead.

[Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/jojo-rabbit-review-nazi-comedy-divisive-film-taika-waititi-cast-380838)

## The Times — Tom Shone

Rating ★★★. 5 January 2020. 

Taika Waititi has threaded a risky but funny path with this sweet-tempered, zany farce about a boy with an imaginary Hitler friend. It is slightly hit-and-miss but succeeds in many ways.

[Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/film-review-jojo-rabbit-mjn02tcqz)

## Empire — Ben Travis

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 26 December 2019. 

The film has real heart and strong central performances from the young lead and supporting cast, but its tone often clashes between broad comedy and heavier drama.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/jojo-rabbit/)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 15 October 2019. 

The critic calls the satire erratic but engaging, with a mixture of black humor and sentimentality that is not always as good as its best parts. The fantasy Hitler is the best element, and certain sequences make viewers shake their heads and smile.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2019-10-15/jojo-rabbit-scarlet-johannson-review)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2019. Festival review. 

The critic finds the film a divisive Holocaust comedy that plays extreme Nazi views for laughs before twisting them for emotional effect. Sam Rockwell's resourceful comic turn as a Hitler Youth instructor is singled out for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/jojo-rabbit-review-1238171/)

## Evening Standard — David Sexton

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 3 January 2020. 

The tonal shifts fail to land, resulting in a film that is neither convincing drama nor effective spoof and comes across as consistently cute rather than offbeat.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/jojo-rabbit-review-dont-be-fooled-theres-nothing-cute-about-the-hitler-youth-a4325561.html)

## Screen Daily

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 17 September 2019. Festival review. 

The critic finds the gentle satire disappointing and meagre despite its ambition, noting that good intentions prove insufficient and the comedy feels too safe and inconsequential.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/jojo-rabbit-review/5142722.article)

## Variety — Owen Gleiberman

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2019. Festival review. 

The review describes it as a feel-good hipster Nazi comedy that creates the illusion of danger while playing it safe, like a Wes Anderson movie set during the Third Reich. It lacks the courage of its own conventionality and uses defanged black comedy to make viewers feel good about feeling above a feel-good movie.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/jojo-rabbit-review-taiki-waititi-1203328083/)

## Little White Lies — Jake Cole

Rating 3/1/1. 16 December 2019. 

The critic calls it a staggeringly ill-conceived satire that fails to explore its premise meaningfully, resulting in a paper-thin effort lacking bite or comic insight beyond twee energy.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/jojo-rabbit)

## The AV Club — Mike D'Angelo

Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 10 February 2020. 

The critic strongly dislikes the film and finds its attempt to blend broad satire with Holocaust gravity unsuccessful and often obscene. He singles out the clumsy alternation between silliness and horror for criticism, comparing it unfavorably to Life Is Beautiful.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/jojo-rabbit-is-not-the-new-life-is-beautiful-1841555083)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Rating 1/5. 20 December 2019. 

The critic finds the film a bland and misjudged Hitler-spoofy YA adventure that accentuates little-kid cuteness amid non-horror. It fails to attack evil or deliver laughs or insights.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/dec/20/jojo-rabbit-review-taika-waititi-hitler-comedy)

## The Telegraph

Rating 1/5. 2 February 2020. 

The film is a feeble, one-note Nazi comedy that fails to land a single meaningful blow as satire and veers into sentimental tear-jerker territory.

[Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2019/10/05/jojo-rabbit-review-feeble-one-note-nazi-comedy-fails-land-single/)

## Slant Magazine — Keith Uhlich

Rating 0/4. 9 September 2019. Festival review. 

The critic calls the film spectacularly wrongheaded and incapable of addressing oppression or indoctrination beyond cheap sentimentality and jokes. He singles out its shamelessly offensive platonic courtship plot and lack of genuine laughs for complaint.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/jojo-rabbit-review-taika-waititi/)

## /Film — Chris Evangelista

Rating 9/10. 9 September 2019. Festival review. 

Waititi expertly balances darkness and light in a heartfelt, sweet, blackly comedic coming-of-age story that finds hope in hopeless times. The performances, particularly from the young lead and supporting cast, bring the film's magic to life.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/568944/jojo-rabbit-review/)

## Deadline — Pete Hammond

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 15 October 2019. 

The critic finds that Taika Waititi succeeds admirably in taking the risky premise of a Nazi satire and delivering a film that amuses while reminding viewers of the idiocy and horrors of Hitler and his followers. He singles out the superb performance of child actor Roman Griffin Davis as Jojo for particular praise.

[Read the review](https://deadline.com/video/jojo-rabbit-review-taika-waititi-adolf-hitler-nazi-satire/)

## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 December 2019. 

The film is an intensely anti-fascist satire that uses comedy to deliver an emotional punch and ridicule anti-Semitic thinking. It is clever, charming, laugh-out-loud funny and deeply humane, with standout performances especially from Roman Griffin Davis as Jojo.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/jojo-rabbit-2019-film-review-by-jennie-kermode)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating B+. 9 September 2019. Festival review. 

The critic praises the film as hilarious and sweet, highlighting its use of comedy to diminish Nazis and its emotional depth through strong performances by young leads.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/jojo-rabbit-review/)

## NME — Greg Wetherall

Rating 4/5. 6 October 2019. 

Wit and whimsy carry the film; praises the look, soundtrack, cast performances especially in comedy, but notes the narrative arc is predictable.

[Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/jojo-rabbit-review-taika-waititi-2554204)

## The Wrap — Steve Pond

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 16 October 2019. 

The critic concludes that Waititi has taken a risky premise and turned in a twisted piece of grandly entertaining provocation that pulls off Hitler jokes effectively. He singles out the film's dark satire and its ability to make a case for understanding as circumstances chip away at the protagonist's worldview.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/jojo-rabbit-film-review-taika-waititi-insists-that-nazis-can-be-funny/)

## Digital Spy — Gabriella Geisinger

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 2 January 2020. 

As a Jewish critic, the reviewer feels verklempt; praises the film's ability to make one empathize with Elsa and think critically about beliefs, while acknowledging the discomfort of satirizing Nazis but ultimately seeing it as a success.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a29641058/jojo-rabbit-review-hitler-nazi-taika-waititi/)

## Den of Geek — Don Kaye

Rating 3.5/5. 8 October 2019. 

The critic finds it an enjoyable satire with good performances and laughs from the Hitler character, but notes it feels evanescent and unmoving compared to the historical horrors, though successful overall.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/jojo-rabbit-review-scarlett-johansson/)

## HeyUGuys — Katie Smith-Wong

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 8 October 2019. Festival review. 

The film establishes a whimsical tone but loses consistency in the third act as serious elements clash with comedy. It ultimately offers sweetness and an idiotically hilarious Hitler, though some plot elements like friendship with Yorki are underdeveloped.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/jojo-rabbit-lff-2019-review-taika-waititi/)

## The Playlist — Charles Bramesco

Rating D+. 9 September 2019. Festival review. 

The satire is naively idealistic in suggesting that Nazis or haters can be redeemed through compassion, which the critic finds unconvincing and manipulative. While funny in parts and featuring strong performances from Johansson, the film's moral stance is seen as privileged and misguided.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/jojo-rabbit-taika-waititi-tiff-review-20190909/)

## The Ringer — Adam Nayman

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 18 October 2019. 

The critic finds the film's approach to Nazism through a child's perspective problematic, noting it simplifies the horrors and relies on predictable emotional beats, making it enervating despite some strengths.

[Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2019/10/18/movies/jojo-rabbit-review-taika-waititi)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/jojo-rabbit.md